Mirror, mirror on the wall
by scasfra
Summary: This was Parker's secret on "Secrets they know" but ever since I posted it has been hauting me because I felt it deserved to be a story of its own. Parker as a secret which is hauting her and Hardison is the only one that can help her. Will he be able to bring her peace? Please read and review


**I do not own Leverage.  
**

**I hope you like this. I loved it just because Parker is one of the characters with whom I identify the most due to my Asperger Syndrome.**

**Anyway, I'd love to know your opinion even if you think it's crappy because even tough I love Parker I always have problems portraying her...**

**About the "secrets they know" story, I haven't updated because no one asked about Hardison's or Eliot's secret, but if by any chance you want to find out about it please let me know and I'll update as soon as possible.**

**PS: This is still on secrets they because Hardison's secret is intertwined with Parker's**

Being called a whore has been her cross to bear her entire life, tonight it was her crucifixion or someone else's. She couldn't tell because she didn't wait to see Hardison punching the man right in the nose with all his strength. Nathan and Eliot had to stop him from nearly breaking the man's jaw; he was stronger than any of them ever thought he would be...

She entered her room of her new Portland apartment being quickly followed by Sophie who, miraculously still didn't understand what the hell had happened.

For a moment Parker just seemed really pissed off at everything right now, but she started hyperventilating, her chest went down and up again as fast as it could and the girl's eyes got wet as she grabbed the bed frame as hard as she could.

-Parker? - Sophie asked not having the slightest clue about what was happening, it was a first for Sophie's life and she was hating the feeling.

-I'm having a claustrophobia attack, open...

-I will open the windows for you. - Sophie ran, claustrophobia was huge for the blond.

-Not the windows! The dress, take me out of this god damn dress!

Sophie undressed her and Parker got out of the green tube of cloth. Sophie sat on the ground and took off Parker's heels as well; she undid her hair so the blonde was only wearing a pair of comfortable black panties. Sophie went to the closet to find her some jeans and a hoodie; she stopped at the girl's crying sounds. Parker was embracing her knees, hiding her face on her arms, crying and sobbing desperately.

Sophie knelt at Parker's side and tried to give her some comfort, but the thief jumped at her touch and sent her away. The grifter saw the glint in the thief's eyes saying she'd get violent soon if Sophie didn't go so she left...

**_Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?_**

You're not! - The voice in Parker's head screamed on... She turned into a ball again and let the tears come out of, spreading mascara on her face... The story kept running, there was a mirror and a little girl asking a simple question. Mirror mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all? The answer had never been you. Her mommy had given her that book before she died and Parker took it to her first foster home hoping it would comfort her, as well as bunny. But then the other girls learned about it and started saying she was ugly. She would never be as beautiful as Snow White... **_Mirror mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?_**

Hardison let himself into Parker's room even though Sophie had told him not to go in there, he wouldn't leave the thief alone.

He found the beautiful woman still crying with her head down, a hoodie and a pair of jeans resting next to her. Parker was bare -chested so he couldn't look at her, still he'd do his best to make her feel better.

-Parker, dear, what happened? - He knew a guy had called her a whore during the con, but he didn't think that would be a reason for his Parker to behave like this.

-You don't know what it's like... - She managed to say between sobs.- Even you aren't looking at me now.

-Parker, honey, the only reason I'm not looking at you is that you're semi-naked. - She lifted her head, mascara streaming down her cheeks and she was still the most gorgeous woman he had ever seen. Parker put on the hoodie leaving the jeans on the floor, and turned her attention to the mirror on the wall.

- **_Mirror mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all? I_** tell you who isn't, you! You'll never be beautiful, not even pretty! Look at you, shitty little bitch, not even bothering to wear a fucking dress. Now get out of my way you ugly little shit! - Parker was speaking in a monotone, and Alec could see those words had been repeated to her so many times she eventually believed it. She continued to speak, always staring at the mirror, as if he weren't there.

-So little Parker goes around and decides to be just like everybody else, maybe if I wear dress like a girl momma will like me, maybe I'll be pretty, just like the other girls... She called me a whore for dressing like that... Mirror, mirror on the wall who's the skankiest of them all? I am. - He was glad she wasn't interacting with him because now he was crying too...

Parker kept singsonging that sentence and that made him realise the way Parker saw herself. Probably she had spent a great part of her life with that foster mom and sisters, they had managed to convince her she was both: ugly and a whore; that was what had hurt her the most, leaving scars nobody could see, the reason she wanted to blend in instead of standing out and probably the reason she admired Sophie so much...

He went behind her and hugged her, she moved in such way he knew she could hurt him if he tried anything else.

-Parker what do you see in the mirror? - He asked whispering into her ear, sending shivers down her spine.

-An ugly person, a skank just trying to be something she is not... - He nodded, having predicted her answer.

-Can you ask the fairest question to the mirror again?

-**_Mirror mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?_** - She said with a soft smiling, printing a childish tone to it.

-You are! - He said firmly. Her eyes widened in surprise, first she had thought he was joking or feeling pitying her, but his eyes were so sincere, nobody could lie with eyes like those...

-I am not!

-Why not? – He said, behind her with his arms around her belly, and shin on her shoulders.

-I... I... Everyone thinks I am ugly. I am too pale, my breasts are too small. I also have narrow hips and I am too skinny... - She would start crying again very soon.

-Those are lies Parker, lies told by people who envied you and felt threatened by you...

-But they always got so much more attention than me...

-That's because they were probably whores. You're pale just like Snow White; you have lovely eyes and an astonishing hair that shines like the sun... Your legs are long and you're really flexible and elegant, real classy... By the way I just love the way your nose wrinkles when you laugh or the way your eyes just speak for themselves... Besides you're so smart. How many of those people could tell the year a house was built just by being in it, or the author of a painting after just a few seconds of looking at it? - Parker shook her head then she looked at their reflection in the mirror and she asked the question again.

-**_Mirror mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?_** - He gently smiled at her again.

-You are and nobody will ever surpass you...

Sophie was in the living room, with Nate and Eliot, drinking Tea when Hardison came out of Parker's room.

-Hardison, is Parker okay? - She asked with genuine concern in her voice.

-Yeah, she's fine now. I'm gonna go get my pyjamas, she asked me to spend the night with her...

When Alec came back to her room she already washed her and was taking her hoodie off.

-Parker what are you doing? - He asked slightly dazed about it.

-What? - She asked innocently. - I always sleep naked.

-Not tonight, you won't. You'll have to have wear something if you want me to stay with you. - She rolled her eyes and then giggled.

-Can I borrow your pyjama shirt?

-Yeah, sure, but why...?

He didn't need an answer because the moment Parker got the shirt she started sniffing it.

-Orange soda, gummy frogs, soap and the scent of your skin. My favourite smell. - She said and then naturally changed as if he weren't there.

That night Parker had a dream; she was a little girl in her old house again, wearing a discoloured large dress, make up and her foster momma's high heels, she had stolen from her closet. She walked to the mirror and then asked.

**_-Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?-_** The face in the mirror belonged to her foster momma, however, but when she was about to answer its surface cracked into a million pieces and in every single one of them was Hardison's face smiling.

-You are and nobody will ever surpass you!

She woke up and he did too, she smiled at him, all she needed now was the mirror on Alec's eyes...

**I really want to thank kt8a for helping me to improve this text.**


End file.
